Personal

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A Zanier Morning

WHEW! I did in 4 hours what I normally do in what I have thus far considered to be a ‘busy’ 8 hour shift! Our till system also went down for about an hour. The manager tried to lock the doors, but customers were persistent and I was doing well manually calculating things, so we persevered with the customers who were paying cash. Once I got everything entered after the till came back up, we just about balanced, so I think the manager was glad that we stayed open for these cash-only customers. There were a few little tax-related discrepancies because BC’s taxation system is quite different from any other I’ve experienced in this country and I haven’t studied it in depth.

I have a really hard time finding anything special about this season of over commercialism, but this year it sure is easier to be cheery about it.. Compared to last year in Oliver, this week has been pure heaven. Last year, I spent this week moving snow, being responsible 24/7 for the RV park, and being %#( upon by the manager. I also  had the stress of dealing with the continuing cold snap while preparing for my departure from Hell-iver. There was also the not-so-fun job of trying to be cheery with customers and get into the spirit of things for our potluck.  Last year I did get a nice dinner from the manager at the RV park (fainting almost ensued) and this year, to my surprise, I got a little bonus at the gas station even though I’ve been working there less than two months.

(It was also a year ago tomorrow that I moved the blog to WordPress!)

My only plans for the 25th are to have dinner with the mother and step-father of one of my best friends. What are the odds that they’d live here? I’ll be working 10 to 6 and then heading over there for turkey. If I hadn’t done that, one of my former colleagues at the gas station was going to bring me leftovers from their dinner. I might be a solo RVer, but solo does not have to equal alone.

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A Zany Morning

Normally, my 10AM to 2PM shifts at the convenience store are busy, but mundane. Today, thought, was all about one thing after another. The following are the two best incidents of the day:

Today, a colleague accidentally threw away a key component of our coffee machine which resulted in my having to mop up a gallon of boiling hot coffee and then dig through a garbage can to find the missing part. Before I’d even had my first cup of the day.

Some time later, I witnessed something I have only otherwise seen in movies and tv shows. We have had a problem with our ATM for about a week now; it won’t print receipts. Today, for some unfathomable reason, it decided that those receipts had to come out. Receipt after receipt poured out of that machine like thick flakes of snow. There was no stopping the flood as customers looked on in awe. Finally, the storm ended and the machine rebooted. I assumed that the problem had fixed itself, but no. Two customers made withdrawals and were not given a receipt. Shall I look forward to a repeat performance by the ATM next Monday?!

Never a dull moment…

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RVing With Cats

I can’t imagine my RVing life without my cats.

Nine years ago this week I brought home my beautiful Tabitha and two and a half years ago, I adopted my handsome Neelix.  One of the big pros for RVing was that this lifestyle supported cat parenthood. I was worried about how they would take to the life, but since they are indoor only cats I imagined the transition wouldn’t be too hard for them. I was right.

The right cat can be a wonderful companion for a solo full-timer who can’t fit a dog into their schedule or lifestyle. They provide companionship, a warm body to cuddle up with, and a measure of security. If I’m sitting in a strange place and hear a weird noise, I only worry about it if the cats do, and they have alerted me many times to the fact that someone was roaming around outside the rig.

One of the challenges of RVing with cats is finding a place to put the litter box. There is no easy answer to that since every RV is different. I think that if you can get the box into an exterior compartment, that’s the way to go. I haven’t given up on that option for Miranda. I don’t recommend putting the box in the tub or shower, especially if you use clumping litter, because of potential clogging issues. I’ve seen some people who put the box in the cab, between the two seats and others who devote whole cabinets, turning them into ‘cat condos.’ I’m convinced that there is a place, even if it’s imperfect, in every RV for a litter box.

Another issue is what to do with the cats when driving. I started off by securing Tabitha and Neelix in their carriers and then belting them into the dinette seat. They were incredibly miserable. Now, I leave them loose. Tabitha spends most of the underway time sleeping up in the loft bed or looking out the windows up there while Neelix prefers to sit on the passenger side and keep me company. I believe that this is a safer option if we were to get into an accident. Rather than being battered about in a hard cage, they can dig their claws into soft material and be cushioned. They have never done anything dangerous like explore the pedals or pounce on me while I was driving. I doubt that all cats would be such great travelers, but my two were destined to be RVers.

I worried about finding their cat food on the road, so before leaving I switched them to a popular, readily available brand. It’s not nearly as good quality as the fancy food they ate back east, but at least their diet is consistent, which is very important to Tabitha. I am also careful as to the water they drink. If I can handle the tap water in a location, that’s what they get, too. If I feel that bottled water is my only option, then they get bottled water. They occasionally let me know that the water I’m providing them is no good and I respect that. It might sound like such a small thing, varying the water, but it’s as difficult on a cat’s system as is changing food.

Finally, my routine is incredibly variable depending on where I am and the sort of job I’m doing, so I make sure that the cats get a lot of attention and affection when I am home. It can be very bewildering to them to have me all to themselves for three weeks and then to have me away for ten hours at a time, five days a week. I do try to keep some routines, such as that for bedtime, even if the time at which it occurs is different.

My cats seem to enjoy this lifestyle where the view outside their windows change regularly but their favourite perches remain the same. If you’re considering RVing and not sure your cat will take it, there is only one way to find out. Take the leap; it might end up being very rewarding.

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Travels Without Miranda, Coda

My travels without Miranda took me from Mexico through the United States and across the Atlantic ocean in search of myself and a purpose in life. They prepared me for this wonderful adventure I’m on right now; one that is constantly shaping and redefining itself. There have been many times lately that I have felt that my old life had better days, but then some small thing happens that makes me realise that I might have lost an abundance of good days, but I have gained a great life.

I have a nomad’s soul. There is no point in fighting that. I can settle somewhere for many months, even years, and be impossibly content for that time, but there always comes a time where I need to go. It is my biological imperative. Yes, it does involve certain sacrifices; what choices in life do not? Would my life be easier if I was willing to settle down? Yes. But an easy life is nothing but a long death.

For the next little while, as I learn to figure out the mechanics of this life and how to fund it, there will probably be a lot less travel with Miranda than there was without her, at least into new places. So, I will practise one final lesson that I learned in my old life, when I did my annual ‘pretend that I am a tourist in my own town’ day. Because

The real voyage of discovery comes not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. Marcel Proust*

My travels are just my way of figuring out how this world works. Thank you for following me and helping me make a little better sense of it all.

*Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux.

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Safety Complacency

I usually feel very safe in my RV, whether I’m parked in a campground, a Walmart, or a turnout. If I’m overnighting in an urban area, I choose a spot with a couple of exits and good light. If I’m in the boonies, I try to stay out of the sightline of passing vehicles. I’ve only had one scare that taught me to keep my cellphone handy and charged at all times, otherwise I’ve been very lucky so far as intruders go.

Nick and Terry Russell weren’t so lucky the other night. You can read about their terrifying encounter with an armed intruder at the Gypsy Journal blog.